Adrian

I wake up in the morning feeling like I just won the lottery. Everything is finally coming to place and I couldn't be happier. I'm deeply in love with the girl of my dreams and it turns out she's in love with me too and is moving with me to DC as I start my soccer career. Dr. Lucic would be so proud.

Sofia's tucked in my arms, her blond hair spilling over the pillow, and donning my shirt from yesterday buttoned in only a couple of places. It gives me an incredible view of her body in the daylight and does nothing to help my morning state.

I swear it's her doing this to me because I've never experienced anything close to this. It's like my body is constantly begging me to have her and it's driving me insane. Yes, I absolutely love it, but at the same time I don't want her to think I'm a horny bastard that only cares about sex. She certainly wasn't complaining about it last night, but I'm sure she won't be happy today if she's sore.

Before I can stop myself, my hand is reaching out to her and brushing her hair back. It's like sometimes I just have to touch her to know that she's real. My fingers travel up her thighs as I lean in and softly kiss her neck. I can perfectly distinguish her scent mixed with mine and I blame her pheromones for making me this way.

My hand is traveling up her stomach and I'm kissing my way to her throat when she stirs. "No. Stop," she says.

I immediately freeze and look towards her but she has her eyes tightly closed.

"Sofia, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that," I say instantly regretting what I just did.

She pushes against me even though I'm no longer holding her and she suddenly lets out a piercing scream. She starts thrashing in the sheets and it's only then that I realize she's dreaming. Or having a nightmare. Fuck.

I grab her arms, trying to remember how I got her to wake up last time this happened. "Sofia, wake up. It's a dream. You're having a dream, baby."

She struggles against me and starts crying.

"No, baby. Please, wake up. You're safe. We're in Marbella, remember? Please," I shake her forcefully.

Her eyes fly open and she bolts upwards, moving away from me in fear.

"Shh, Sofia. It was just a bad dream. You're completely safe, I promise."

She lets out a painful sigh and covers her face. "Adrian," she gasps in relief.

"Yes, baby. I'm here," I say reaching out towards her hesitantly.

"Oh god," she says, throwing herself in my lap and wrapping her arms around my neck.

I draw her closer, hugging her tightly, panicking at the significance of her nightmare. She's had this nightmare before, but last time it seemed like just that – a nightmare. But this time, it seemed to stem from somewhere. Like it was real. Like it was a memory. Did I do that to her?

"I'm sorry, Adrian," she says apologetically, her voice thick with emotion.

"No, I'm sorry. Darling, what ... who were you dreaming about? Was it me?"

She shakes her head and I feel some temporary relief, but equal devastation at the same time. I now wish the answer was me because that leaves one other possibility and I don't want it to come to fruition.

"Then who, Sofia?"

She shakes her head again, backing away from me, and I feel the temperature of the room drop. Goosebumps crawl under my skin and I feel a knot in my stomach so big that I think I'm going to be sick.

"Uncle Frank," she whispers.

My entire world literally stops.

The first thing that stops is my heart, followed by my breathing, and the blood circulating throughout my body. I'm cold, ice again, frozen in place. I'm fucking paralyzed. This is what it must feel like when you die. When you feel that everything has been ripped out of you, and there is nothing left in its place. It cripples me to think this is what my parents went through.

Numbness, emptiness, deadness.

I perceive the feel of her fingers, innocently yet intimately resting against my knees, and it causes my heart to beat again. I stare at her eyes, as they represent the only true and comforting thing that can hold me together. She still has fear in hers, but this time it's in trepidation of my reaction.

I place my hands over hers, clenching them tightly, letting her know I'm here for her and trying to hold on to the last piece of my sanity.

"When?" my voice cracks, skipping over the what because I already know that sick bastard hurt her. I just need to know how long it went on for so that I'm prepared when I kill him with my bare hands.

"It started when I was little. I think I was around five or six, but I didn't understand it at the time. He would buy me presents and say that I was his little princess."

No. No, no, no. How could someone possibly do that to her?

I feel the bile rising in my throat, but I know I have to be strong for her right now.

"He stopped a few years later when I got older. I think that's when he started drinking and went to rehab for the first time," she continues. "Sometimes I thought he would try something again when he looked at me a certain way, but he never came near me after that so I thought he had stopped for good ... until the night before I left to London."

"Did he ...?" I can't even finish that sentence before I completely break down.

"No, that night was different. He came into my room when I was sleeping and attacked me. He pinned me down, yelling at me, saying that I was the reason for all his problems and that he wished I were dead. He was so drunk, Adrian. One minute he would try to undress me and the next he would try to choke me and then he would start crying. I managed to escape out of my room and ran to Nico. I made it seem like he was just drunk and didn't know what he was doing. Nico found him passed out in the hallway so he didn't question me about it. He was just really pissed at him for being a drunken idiot like everybody else thought he was. I pretended to fall asleep in Nico's room so I wouldn't have to go back to mine. I did that pretty frequently over the years, especially when I had nightmares so I guess he was used to it and didn't find it strange. But I knew I couldn't be there any longer in case that happened again, so I convinced my parents to let me go to London for a while, saying that I needed more time before I started college. I found out my parents sent him back to rehab afterwards, but I didn't want to be there when he got out, so I tried to stay in London as long as possible because I didn't think he would follow me there."

I hug her profusely, wishing that I had stayed over that night like I usually did. She had just technically graduated high school even though she still had the summer courses to take, and her parents had thrown her a small party, much to her dismay. We were going on our first date the next day and I had wanted it to seem like a real one where I would pick her up and everything, even if it was a secret location we had planned at the mall. So I had gone home after stealing a kiss on the cheek from her and promising I would see her the next day. I never imagined I wouldn't be seeing her again for another eight awful months.

"I'm sorry I didn't stay over that night. I wish I had. I should have," I say, choking back a sob.

"Adrian, there was no way you could have known. Please don't blame yourself for it," she answers softly.

At least Nico was there for her all those years without even knowing it. I can't imagine what other horrible things that filthy bastard would have done to her if he hadn't been there. I now realize my best friend has done more for me than I ever thought possible.

"So nobody else knows about this?"

"No. I've never told anyone. He threatened me, Adrian. He said he would hurt me and my family if I ever said anything. Especially Nico, he would go off about it, saying I wouldn't have anyone to protect me. I was scared, I couldn't let anything happen to him."

"Shh, baby. I won't let that happen. I promise. He won't ever hurt you again."

Suddenly everything makes sense. Why she was always so reserved, why she hated her nickname, why she left without explanation, why she was so sick and broken.

But most of all, I hate that I didn't notice any of it. Granted, I didn't meet her until she was fifteen, but I should have known something was up every time that I would see him over the years and he would get drunk and say inappropriate things. Thank god he was never invited on their family vacations because that would have destroyed her. Marbella was always the one place where she seemed so happy and carefree and I never understood it until now.

Even yesterday he was sitting at the same goddamn table. It was right under my nose and I didn't see it. I don't know how Sofia managed to sit through even a second of that and there I was thinking she was sad over my parents. Well, she probably still was. God, yesterday must have been plain horrible for her. No wonder her first instinct was to leave and come here.

How could I be so stupid? There were so many little things but I never put it together. Like when she got so upset over not being able to defend herself. I have to fix this for her and make sure she lives a happy and undaunted life, just like she deserves. I now couldn't be happier about our decision to move to DC. Hell, I would move us there tomorrow if I could just to know she would be safe, and marry her the day after so that no one could ever take her away from me.

"Sofia, we have to tell your parents. I know you're scared, but they have to know, baby. It isn't right. He should spend the rest of his life in jail and you deserve to move on and live your life. You still want to move to DC, right?"

I panic at the possibility that she may not want that anymore, given this turn of events. But she would be much safer and happier there anyway.

"Yes, of course. You still want me to go with you?"

My heart breaks that she thinks I wouldn't want her anymore because of this. I didn't think it would be possible after everything we shared last night, but I want her even more now.

"Yes, baby. Now more than ever. I love you and I want you to be safe and happy and have lots of Teddy's one day. With me."

She eases a grin at me and I'm so surprised she hasn't shed a single tear telling me this when I'm about ready to sob like a baby. Maybe she's used up all her tears after having to live with this for so long. She's the bravest girl I know.

"Darling, how about we shower and grab some breakfast, maybe go down to the beach? I know it's a bit cold but I think we could use some fresh air."

She nods and rests her forehead against mine. "Thank you, Adrian."

What she doesn't understand is that I need a break as much as she does. I'm two seconds away from crying under the covers or locking myself in a closet so that she doesn't witness my complete meltdown. She's the only thing that can prevent them from happening.

I kiss her temple and lead her to the bathroom. She quickly follows me but once I turn on the shower and look back at her I realize she might want some time alone.

"Did you want some privacy? I can shower in another room," I offer.

She quickly shakes her head and comes close to me, wrapping her arms around my waist and kissing my chest. Damn, even that simple show of affection feels so good. I was trying to give her some space, but it's no longer an option. I run my fingers through her hair and bend down so that I can kiss her properly. I need to show her how much she means to me.

She kisses me back with equal abandon and it makes me forget about everything else but her. She's my entire life and I would do absolutely anything and everything for this girl in my arms for the rest of my days. As long as it means I get to be with her and she's happy.

Before I even come to realize it, the kiss has turned heated and I feel a stir in my boxers. Shit, I really need to learn how to hide my attraction towards her better. I was planning on being romantic and holding her while we shower so we can reset, but of course my body would seem to have other ideas.

I step back from her, hoping she doesn't notice, and trying to imagine something else to cool down. Kittens. Lots and lots of kittens, just playing around and being cute. After what she just told me, it's probably the last thing she needs right now.

She looks at me carefully before she reaches towards her shirt to unbutton it. Well, it's really my shirt, but it looks far better on her so I like to call it hers now. It doesn't take long as it's only two buttons, but she's staring at me while she does it and it seems like it's in slow motion.

I gulp as she slowly opens it, exposing the swells of her breasts, and as my eyes continue to travel down south, I notice that she's wearing nothing underneath. I swear it feels like she's giving me a mini strip tease. Maybe I didn't think this through properly and should go shower somewhere else after all. But before I can say anything, she runs a hand down the middle of the shirt before opening it completely and letting it drop to the floor.

Her cheeks flush at my reaction, noticing the obvious tent in my boxers, and heads towards the shower. I'm still looking at her completely stunned when she glances back at me and quietly says, "You coming, captain?"

Holy hell. I don't think I've ever taken my boxers off quicker than I just did. I join her in the shower and don't even try to hide the fact that I'm completely turned on by her. But for now I ignore it the best I can and do what I had originally planned when I brought her here.

I hold her and wash every inch of her precious body. She does the same to me and by the time we've finished, I think I'm going to burst if I don't have her again.

As if she can read my mind, she pushes me against the wall, and stands up on the tip of her toes to kiss me. I moan in relief as I bend down to meet her, grabbing her by the lower back and pulling her up against me.

I take her sweet mouth, ready to re-explore her body. But before I do, I worry that this might not be the type of therapy she needs. I stop kissing her and rest my forehead against hers.

She sighs and pushes her body flush against mine. "Adrian, I need you. Please don't hesitate with me anymore. I don't want you to stop. It'll kill me if you do."

"Tell me what you want, Sofia," I say planting kisses around her neck. I need to know so that I can give it to her.

"I want new memories with you. As many as I can get."

Sometimes the things she tells me blows my mind. That and the fact that she's giving me carte blanche. It means that she trusts me, and that's the biggest gift I could ever receive from her, knowing what she's been through. This is her choice, and somehow she's chosen me.

"It'll be my honor," I tell her.

I lower down her body to kiss her breasts, while running my hands over her pert ass and hips. But it's not enough, so I nudge her legs further apart and bring a finger inside her as I continue kissing her.

She moans deeply and it echoes beautifully against the tiled walls in the bathroom.

"Are you sore, darling?" She has to be, so I need to be careful with her today.

"Some, but it feels good. I like the reminder of you."

She is so sexy without even knowing it. "You want that again, baby?"

"Yes," she practically hisses.

I kiss back up her mouth and delve another finger inside of her. She's already wet but I need to make absolute sure I won't hurt her. "Still good?"

"Yes. Please, Adrian."

I turn her around, placing her hands against the wall. I sweep her hair to the side as I kiss down her back, lifting her hips back towards me. God, just the sight of this has me reeling in anticipation.

I debate for a minute whether it might be too advanced for her and if it would be best to take her back to bed, but she said she wanted new memories and I think this will give her something to hold onto for a while. I know it certainly will for me.

I also consider if I should turn her back around and lift her against the wall so I can see her face, but I think that position would actually hurt her right now. Plus I think that she'll have to trust me more this way by having to feel me first and that might be even better for her.

I run my hands up her thighs, sliding to her apex and finding her core again. She whimpers as I position myself behind her, and she opens up her stance wider. She's so good to me, telling me that she really wants this by her small actions. Now I know it's exactly what she needed.

I gently push inside of her, slowly taking her in, before sheathing her completely. Fuck, that is deep. My girl is going to give me the sweetest kind of death. No matter how much I mentally prepare for it, she surpasses my wildest dreams every time. She needs to know how much I worship this.

"God, Sofia. You're so perfect."

She gasps as I grab on to her hips and move slowly. She feels even tighter than yesterday like this, and possibly even more incredible, so I need to control myself. I also now know she likes it nice and even, so as much as I want to let go and accelerate my movements, I make sure to keep the rhythm purposely steady.

My hands move up to cup her breasts and I lean forward to kiss her neck. She immediately responds and arches back into me more. She feels so amazing and I love her so much. I want to make love to her like this in the shower a million more times and I know each time will feel as incredible as this.

I bring my hands up her arms until I place them over her hands on the wall. Her small fingers are splayed out against the tile, and my heart exults to magnificent proportions when I see my ring on her left finger shining under the bathroom light. I lock my fingers with hers and it's in this moment that I realize she owns me completely. Each and every part of me. I know it's just a simple band, but it holds so much hope and promise, and I see our entire future when I look at it.

I keep my movements deliberately slow and controlled and it's surprisingly bringing me faster to the edge than if I had moved faster. Sofia is close too as I feel her tightening around me. My right hand drops down the front of her body in between her legs and I trace her with my fingers, rubbing her in soft circles, while I keep my left hand with hers against the wall, where it belongs.

She lets out a succession of whimpers before screaming my name and shattering completely. It's the best thing I've ever heard in my life. I sink into her a few more times, watching myself disappear in and out of her, and the visual undoes me.

Unlike yesterday, I pull out of her quickly and turn her around, needing to see her beautiful face. Her green eyes are sated and she almost looks drugged at how satisfied she is. I think she might need to take a nap after this.

I kiss her softly and run soap over our bodies one last time to clean up our lovemaking and pull her out of the shower. I wrap a towel around her, before grabbing one for myself, and take her back to bed.

"I'll go grab us some breakfast. You stay here and look sexy," I tell her.

She smiles and snuggles back into the covers. I sigh in relief to finally see her smile again and I make it a goal to always have her keep it there.

I end up getting takeout at a restaurant nearby and we eat in bed while watching Despicable Me on TV. I would have normally complained at the movie choice, but it turns out that Gru's voice dubbed in Spanish is possibly even more hilarious than Steve Carrell's. I also think I went a bit overboard and ordered too much food, but I'm happy to see Sofia eating a bit of everything, including a milkshake, pancakes, bacon, and even eggs that she never eats. If I had known sex made her this hungry, I would have suggested it a long time ago. Okay, maybe not, but it's definitely something I'm considering for the future.

Once we finish eating, we head down to the beach. There's hardly anyone else around as it's not high season yet, but the privacy feels even better. We hold hands as we walk down the beach and I'm so glad we came down here. I don't know if it's the smell of the seawater or the sand beneath my toes, but it feels rejuvenating.

I consider bringing up the subject of Uncle Frank, but she seems so calm now I don't want to ruin her mood. We're going to have to talk about him anyway later tonight when we speak to her parents, so I don't want to bring him up unnecessarily again right now. But if she brings him up, then I'm open to talk about it for as long as she wants.

We walk until we find a good spot in front of a palm tree and we sit down. I position her in front of me in between my legs so that I'm hugging her from behind. She rests her head back against my shoulder and settles her hands on my calves.

"So are you gonna get these bad boys insured any time soon?" Sofia asks me.

I laugh. "Yeah, I think they're worth at least $100 Million. You think that's enough?"

"No, you should go for at least $300. You gotta match Jennifer Lopez," she answers.

"She has her legs insured for $300 Million?"

"No, silly. Her butt. It's her finest asset, pun intended."

I chuckle and kiss her hair. "The club has regular insurance, so I think I'll just go with that."

"Do you ever worry about getting injured?"

"Sometimes. I mean, it's bound to happen at some point whether it's minor or major, so I guess I just need to be careful and prepare for it. Have some backup plans in place, that kind of stuff."

She nods and we spend some time in silence, just staring at the ocean. I look at the waves as they break onto the beach. I notice how they drift away and pull against the stream, overlapping with each other.

I can't help but think how they are like the push and pull of a relationship. How people come together from different places to meet. One person may be up and the other down, but somehow they always meet somewhere in the middle, only to change again and restart the process. You rise and fall, meeting at different places each time, until you eventually crash. But it's only temporary because once you hit bottom, you shift and start to rise back up again. I know for certain that is how my relationship with Sofia has been since we met.

It's funny to think how much things have changed since we used to come here as kids. I say kids even though it was only a few years ago, but I certainly don't feel like that person anymore. I've grown up, probably a lot faster than I would've liked to, but I'm a real adult now. I have responsibilities, bills to pay, my future to plan out. It should feel scary as hell, but having Sofia now with me, it doesn't.

Sometimes I worry that she still needs those years of youth where you just mess around and fuck up all the time, having no clue of what you're doing or where you're going. I feel like she hasn't necessarily experienced all that yet, but hopefully she'll get some of that in DC. Like me, she also had to grow up way too fast, but for entirely different reasons. She was robbed of a normal childhood, and it has bled over into her teenage years.

The last thing I want is to make her feel tied down. I've been thinking it might be best for her to live on campus in the college dorms at first, instead of with me. She would make more friends that way and she wouldn't be on her own when I have to travel to different cities for matches. She could certainly come with me for some of them and get to know new places, but I can quickly see how that would lose some appeal after a while.

On the other hand, I think about her staying at the dorms and some drunken frat boy trying to talk her up at a party and it enrages me with jealousy. I can easily see it happening over and over and I don't think I would be able to handle it. I sigh, getting frustrated at my own thoughts. I guess these are all details we can figure out later.

"What are you ruminating about back there?" Sofia asks.

I chuckle that she can practically hear my thoughts. "The nature of existence."

"Wow, that's a tough one," she laughs.

"I was just wondering if you'll want to live with me or in the dorms in DC," I tell her.

"I hadn't thought about the dorms, actually. Are you thinking it might be too fast if we live together?"

"No, I was thinking more for you. If you wanted to get the full college experience," I tell her.

"Hmm. Well, first I need to get in somewhere," she giggles. "But I think maybe for appearances I could try it out for a semester or something, but if I'm being completely honest I'd much rather live with you. At least, that was the way I was picturing it. Besides, the communal shower thing is kind of unappealing to me. Especially after the shower we just had today, you've ruined me for life."

"Mmm. That was really nice, wasn't it? Definitely wouldn't mind having that kind of shower every day," I say nibbling on her ear.

"Adrian! I swear, you're insatiable."

I laugh because she's right. Just the mention of the shower has my need for her building. God, she's made me into a greedy teenager again. "That's all you, baby. You make me this way."

"Well, if we do end up living together, you'll need to cool it down before the matches. Otherwise, you won't have any stamina left and they'll kick you off the team," she chuckles.

Oh shit! I frown deeply. That hadn't even occurred to me. I've never had to worry about that before and it causes me to panic. I really hope they don't institute sex-bans before games. Just the thought of not being able to be with her on certain occasions depresses me. It's not even scientifically proven. If anything, it's more psychological.

Jesus Adrian, calm down. It's not the end of the world.

Yes, yes it is.

Sofia turns around and kisses me on the lips. "I gotta say, Adrian. You got it bad. Not that I'm complaining."

I pout at her as she stands up and dusts off her jeans. I don't even attempt to argue with her because again, she's completely right. She turns around and offers her hands to help me up.

"C'mon, captain. Let's go make some more memories before we head back home."